


PTSD

by ittybittymattycommittee



Series: Glimpses [3]
Category: Falling Skies
Genre: Brotherly Love, Gen, Suspicions, Tom Mason is a sneaky ho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2016-12-04
Packaged: 2018-09-06 08:11:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8741944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ittybittymattycommittee/pseuds/ittybittymattycommittee
Summary: Hal and Ben find out Tom brought Matt with him on their mission.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Set during 5x01.

"I think next time, I'll stay at camp."

Matt tried to sound indifferent, hoping his heartbeat wasn't as audible to everyone else as it was to him. Only Ben seemed to throw him an extra glance.

It felt dumb having feelings about something that happened over a year ago, but the woods and the skitters brought on an intense fear of being captured. No matter how many times Matt looked around to confirm that other people were there - other people who weren't concentration camp leaders - he couldn't shake the feeling of being alone. Being hunted.

The thick suffocating foliage. The crackling of twigs on the ground. The sound of predators in the distance. Every sensation during the mission had poked and prodded at some of Matt's worst memories.

All the way back to camp, Matt's mind and gaze were a million miles away. He didn't even notice how Ben kept looking at him, or when Hal's team met up with them, how Ben nudged their big brother, despite their current animosity, and gestured towards Matt.

"What are you doing out here, pal?", Hal asked surprised, startling Matt a little with a hand on his shoulder. "You alright?"

Matt stared at Hal with a hollow expression, before his eyes began darting between him and Ben, who was standing right next to him.

"... What?", Matt replied, not having registered even half of what Hal had said. His brothers exchanged worried looks.

"Never mind", Ben answered for Hal, lowering his voice as he addressed only his big brother. "He's clearly not alright. We caught him on Dad's team. They were ambushed by a hoard of Skitters."

" _What?_ ", Hal asked. His tone wasn't many notches away from yelling.

They both shot a look across the group of fighters, directed towards their stone-faced leader. Their father.

"I want you to be on your guard with him", Hal ordered Ben. "Nothing major", he added before Ben could protest. "Just-... Dad's different. You can't deny that."

Ben seemed torn between arguing and agreeing, especially since it was Hal's words against his father's, but another look at the emptiness that was Matt right now and he found himself nodding.

Hal felt a flash of guilt for telling his brothers to be weary of their dad, but just as quick as that had been brought on, he remembered something his dad had told him over 2 years ago. Something that would probably stick with Hal for the rest of his life.

"You've got to do this! I don't want to hurt anybody, Hal. Least of all you, or Ben, or Matt."

Hal nodded back at Ben as he squeezed Matt's shoulder, more confident than he ever thought he would be with standing up against his dad.


End file.
